Niles Gets Fired: Almost
by shegoismyfav
Summary: When Niles leaves C.C. outside in the rain for several hours in early November and she gets sick, will Max fire him, or will pleads from his friend Fran, and an unexpected someone, save his job? DISCLAIMER:I own nothing from the Nanny. All characters, except Doctor Marks,referances, dialogue from the show and anything else, ARE NOT MINE. NO SLASH! DEAD. I'M SORRY! WRITER'S BLOCK!
1. Regrets

Chapter 1: Regrets

C.C. Babcock, successful Broadway producer, now regretted stunning that short little fat man with her umbrella. True, at the time she hadn't known he was the largest investor to Maxwell's newest play. It was also true that he should have been more conscious of the fact that

there was a lady waiting for a cab before he so rudely began to climb into the cab she had just managed to hale. It was, after all, raining and C.C. was not dressed for the torrential rainstorm that had blown in shortly after she had left her penthouse. So, all because of a short, inconsiderate man, she was now standing outside on the Sheffield's veranda in that same downpour, soaking wet and shivering. She could, of course, simply walk around to the front door and walk in, but she wanted to watch Nanny Fine try to be her. It really was laughable. The only scrap of C.C. Babcock present in that pitiful performance was her name. Otherwise, everything else was purely Nanny Fine doing what she did best: flirting.

Suddenly, much to C.C.'s surprise, the office was emptied out and she was alone outside. Seeing her chance to become dry and warm once again, C.C. rushed forward and pulled on the handle to the veranda door that led to the office. She found it locked and began to pound on the glass doors. Niles suddenly appeared. Seeing her foe made her sick, but at the same time blissfully happy. She believed he would let her in. Surely, not even he, the bane of her existence, her enemy, would be cruel enough to leave her to freeze to death in the bitter November air that was made even colder by the rain. She was wrong, however, because Niles simply turned off the light on Maxwell's desk and walked out. C.C. couldn't truly say she was shocked. This was something she would, under normal circumstances, do to him if the tables were turned, so she should expect the same of him. She pounded on the doors a few more times and tried yelling, though she knew it was all in vain.

C.C. then became of aware of her involuntary shuddering and knew she would surely freeze or, at the very least, catch pneumonia, if she was not let inside very soon. She sank slowly to the ground and curled into a ball, trying to preserve at least a little warmth. She sneezed and felt slightly annoyed. If she got sick, she was going to kill Butler Boy, no ifs, ands or buts about it. She sneezed again. This sneeze was followed by a cough and C.C. began to feel uncomfortable. Not physically uncomfortable, just that strange uncomfortable sensation you get when you don't feel well or when you're coming down with something. She felt weak and it was not a feeling she was accustomed to. And she despised it. C.C. suddenly felt very groggy and sleepy and somehow fathomed in her weakened state of mind, that if she slept, all this would be a dream. This thought in mind, C.C. gave in to the sleepiness that seemed to envelope her whole body.

…**...**

It had been two hours since Miss Fine, Mr. Sheffield and the investor had left for the theatre. Before he left, Mr. Sheffield had told Niles to let Ms. Babcock back in. Although Niles had taken it as more of a suggestion, seeing as Mr. Sheffield had only said "Aren't you forgetting something?" Niles of course knew that his boss had meant for him to let the "witch" back in. He, on the other hand, had taken it as the perfect opportunity to mess with her head. They had known each other for nearly ten years and had hated each other since the moment they met. They often insulted each other, or pranked one another. It was normal. Niles knew that if he were in Ms. Babcock's position, there would be no hesitation upon leaving him outside. So, he had simply walked into the office, turned off the small light on the desk, and walked out. He knew she had seen him because he had surely seen her. She had been banging on the door and yelling. He chuckled to himself as he thought of her, drenched and panicked.

As that memory left his mind he had another thought. What if she froze to death? He began to feel a bit guilty, then promptly scolded himself. She was his enemy! He shouldn't feel sorry for her! _Still,_ he thought, _it __**is**__ cold out there. What if she really __**does**__ freeze to death, it's not unheard of. Or worse, what if she's..._No, he wouldn't finish that thought. He didn't care if she was ill or not. Besides, if she were ill, he knew she would be planning on how to kill him...or get him fired. He went about finishing his daily tasks of running the mansion. As he finished, the guilt came back and plagued him, twice as strongly as before. With a sigh and a grumble of regret, Niles went to retrieve Ms. Babcock from the downpour. As he entered the office, he expected to see her standing and glaring at the glass, not curled into a shivering ball. He felt more than guilty now. He felt remorseful, regretful. Had he not been so worried about the shivering woman before him, he would have laughed. Regret and sympathy for Ms. Babcock! Ha! He couldn't stand the woman. But he didn't laugh. Instead he rushed to unlock the veranda doors.

As he threw open the doors, Niles noticed a starling sight. Ms. Babcock appeared to be asleep, because she did not stir at the sound of the doors banging against the wall. He bent down and shook her shoulder. After a few tries, he finally managed to make her awaken. She stared up at him sleepily for a brief second before she realized who he was. Her unfocused gaze soon turned into a scowl. She opened her mouth to growl or curse or yell at him, but turned her head abruptly and started to cough. Niles stood over her, dumbfounded. He had expected her to be stark raving mad. After C.C. caught her breath, she gazed up at Niles and promptly started to verbally assault him. He just stood there, letting her belittle and demean him.

…**...**

" I MEAN HOW COULD YOU BE SO CRUEL?! YOU LEFT ME OUT HERE TO FREEZE! I SHOULD WRING YOUR NECK RIGHT NOW AND BE DONE WITH YOU, YOU WORTHLESS, NO-GOOD EXCUSE FOR A MENIAL!" C.C. screamed after she had caught her breath.

She still couldn't believe he just left her outside in the cold. And she was most certainly feeling the after affects of her unwanted shower. She had had to stop several times in her chewing-out to sneeze or cough. Not to mention the sore throat she now discovered she had.

All this time she had remained on the ground with her knees drawn up to her chest. C.C. was still shivering, and if were possible, it was more violent than before she fell asleep. The longer she sat there the wetter she got, although that was hard to believe. By this time, Niles was soaked too. He blinked, seeming to just realize he was wet, much to C.C.'s disgust. He held out his hand to her and she warily took it and climbed up off the ground.

C.C. shakily walked into the office and collapsed onto the green sofa. Niles shut the veranda doors and walked over and leaned on the desk in front of her. C.C. curled into another ball on the sofa and continued to shiver. She had believed it to be warmer inside and found herself wrong, for the fan in the office was turned on high, thus creating a most unwelcome breeze. Niles noticed this and cleared his throat. C.C. glared at him from her position on the sofa.

"Well, well, you didn't melt, I'm surprised. So, do you want me to turn the fan off?"

She nodded. Niles smirked.

"Well, I don't think I will, not after the welcome I got just a moment ago."

C.C. continued to glare at him, although now there was a hint of pleading in her gaze. Niles' own glare softened. C.C. coughed again and grasped at her throat. He saw this and realized he really was being cruel now. The feeling of regret was back. He reached up and turned off the fan. C.C. relaxed a little, though she remained curled into a ball. Water was streaming off her and onto the floor, and Niles knew she needed something warm, or at the very least, dry. Without a word, he left the room and returned a short time later with a large bundle of towels. Silently, he handed C.C. two large towels and a smaller one for her hair. She gladly took them and stood up to begin drying off. She soon realized this was a futile effort when, after half an hour of blotting, the only thing even remotely dry was her hair. She tossed the towel she had been using to the floor with a sigh. Nothing seemed to be going right today. In the time it had taken C.C. to dry her hair, and give up on her the rest of her body, Niles had dried off and changed into a new suit.

Niles began to feel sorry for the woman. She had only been trying to get to work on time when she beamed the investor with her umbrella. Niles admitted that it had been an accident because she didn't know that he was the investor. For her efforts, she had been rewarded by being locked outside in the rain. Now, three hours later, she was still soaked and appeared to have a severe cold. There was the guilt again. Niles knew that everything that had happened after she had arrived had been his fault, so he decided to help her. She obviously needed it.

He peeked around the door to the office. He saw C.C. bend over and seize a damp towel. She wrapped herself in it , trying to become warm. It didn't appear to be working, because she was still shivering violently.

"Ms. Babcock, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I left you in the rain for two hours, I'm sorry you're sick, I'm sorry for everything." he said upon entering the room.

She looked at him and appeared to be thinking. When she didn't reply, Niles ventured on.

"You're still soaking wet. I suggest you wear something of Miss Fine's while you dry off. I could get it for you, if you'll tell me what you want."

At first, C.C. thought of rejecting the offer. Then she shivered and thought that it would be nice to be dry, not to mention warm.

"All right Butler Boy, listen up. I want one of Nanny Fine's insane bathrobes. They're fluffy and the only thing she owns that isn't revealing or preposterously short." Her voice sounded hoarse, stuffed-up, shaky, and weak. She hated it.

Niles obliged and retrieved the robe. C.C. changed and went into the front room to lay down on the sofa. She hated to admit it, but she was overwhelmed by the need to sleep. C.C. soon collapsed onto the couch and curled up for the third time in three and a half hours. She was dry, but she couldn't understand why she kept shivering. Or why she was still so cold. Niles had followed her at a distance, and now approached her with a large and fluffy blanket. He covered her with it and she gratefully snuggled into it.

"You're very pale and flushed Babs." Niles said quietly. He knew if she was extremely sick, she wouldn't reproach him for using her much-hated nick name. As he feared, she didn't say a word. "You look like you're running a temperature." Niles laid a hand lightly on C.C.'s forehead and found her to be burning up. This worried him greatly. " Babs, say something, please. I'm worried. It's not like you to be so quiet."

"G..get me another blanket, Bell Boy." came a mumbled reply. "And never, ever touch me again, got it?" came a weak attempt at a snarl.

"Got it." he whispered as he walked away in search of another blanket and, for his sake, a thermometer.

When he returned, he found C.C. soundly asleep. He gently tucked the blanket around her and took a seat in a chair beside the couch that was close to her head. Soon, he too, was asleep and that was exactly how Fran and Maxwell found them upon returning from the theatre.


	2. Fired: or Not

Chapter 2: Fired...or Not

"Miss Fine, you were absolutely terrific! You really managed to charm him! We might just get that investment yet!" cried Maxwell Sheffield, head of Sheffield-Babcock Productions, as he approached the front door of his mansion.

"Oh really, Mistuh Sheffield, there was nothin' to it!" exclaimed Fran Fine, otherwise known as "the Nanny".

Upon hearing Fran's distinctive nasal voice a mere few feet from the front door, Niles jerked awake and glanced at C.C. He was relieved to see Fran's shouts hadn't woken her up. Now he was faced with the dilemma of explaining to Mr. Sheffield just how his business partner had come to be sick as a dog. He had a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach that if he revealed the truth, he would be out of a job. Niles had only a few seconds to think up a lie before the distinct 'click' of the door's lock was heard. Niles quickly slumped over and pretended to be asleep, hoping that they wouldn't notice him or C.C. Not being noticed was of course, out of the question.

"Hiya Niyules!" exclaimed Fran, somewhat surprised to see him asleep.

Niles jumped and hoped that his friends wouldn't come any closer. Of course, Fran just had to walk over to tell him about what had happened at the theatre. Ordinarily, he wouldn't mind Fran walking over and starting to babble, but he really didn't want her to see C.C., or to wake her up. Just as he was about to get up, Fran glanced at the couch and did a double take.

"Uh, Niyules, why is Miss Babcock asleep on the couch?"

Upon hearing Fran's voice so close to her head, C.C. stirred and blinked up at the nanny.

"Great, just great." Niles muttered under his breath.

…**...**

"Well, Old Man, why_ is _C.C. sleeping on my couch?" asked a confused Maxwell.

"Well, you see...umm..." Niles started to explain. "The Ice Queen actually got frozen."

"What?" asked Fran and Maxwell.

"He left me in the rain for two hours and then left me soaking wet for another hour! I'm still freezing! And I have the worst cold imaginable!" said a disgruntled C.C. as she sat up, carefully keeping the blankets wrapped around her shoulders as she had another coughing fit.

"She's wearin' my robe!" squealed Fran.

Niles paled as they both turned to look at him with anger plastered across their faces. He gulped.

"Niles, Old Man, what were you thinking? It's November not July. You're lucky she didn't contract pneumonia."

"Well, Sir, I was just trying to mess with her head a little, and, you know, have a little fun?" he chuckled weakly.

"Have a little fun? HAVE A LITTLE FUN?!" Maxwell roared, "YOU COULD HAVE KILLED HER, MAN, DID YOU EVER THINK OF THAT?! PACK YOUR BAGS, YOU'RE FIRED!"

"Niyules, that really was crewel. Look at poor Miss Babcock," said Fran, moving to sit beside the ill woman on the couch and reaching to pat her hand, "She's as sick as a dawg, no offense, and we need her tah coach me for a dinnah date with the investor that just happens tah be TOMORROW. What are we gonna do now?"

Niles hadn't moved. He was riddled with shock, first for being fired, and second because he realized that everything Fran had just said was right. He had really gotten them all into a pickle this time. He was brought back to earth by the sound of C.C. coughing violently. He looked over to see Fran rubbing C.C.'s back as her body shook from the coughing. Fran murmured something to C.C. that neither of the men could understand.

"Mistah Sheffield," Fran said suddenly, "please don't fiah Niyules. Miss Babcock admits that he did help her once she was inside and we agree that we don't want him tah go."

"Miss Fine..."

"No, really, Mistuh Sheffield, we want him tah stay. Miss Babcock wants him tah stay. Tell em' Miss Babcock."

"Maxwell, I really want him to stay." C.C. managed to croak before starting to cough again.

"If that's really what you want C.C." sighed Maxwell. "Consider yourself reinstated, Old Man." he said before retreating to the office.

Fran gently pushed C.C. back down onto the couch. She then laid a cool hand on C.C.'s burning forehead. Fran gasped.

"Niyules, quick, hand me the thamometah."

Niles numbly handed the requested object to Fran, who in turn placed it in C.C.'s mouth. It wasn't long until it beeped, revealing that the Ice Queen was in danger of melting.

"She has a fevah of one hundred and three point five." said a worried Fran. "Quick Niyules, get me some more blankets, a cool cloth, and inform Mistuh Sheffield that Miss Babcock will be staying the night."

Niles quickly hurried to fulfill the orders given to him.

"Why do you care, Nanny Fine?" questioned C.C.

"Because, Miss Babcock, I like you, and nothin' you ever said or did tah me will change that. Besides, no one, not even you, deserves tah be this miserable." Fran said softly.

For the first time in two years, C.C. did not find the perky brunette to be annoying. She was, of course, shocked that anyone, much less someone she constantly belittled and ignored, would care about her. C.C. actually found Fran's presence comforting in some small way. Fran brushed back the hair that was spread across C.C.'s face. C.C. was soothed by this small action and found herself feeling calm for the first time in years. Fran was rewarded by a contented sigh from C.C. and she smiled. Realizing Niles was not yet back, Fran attempted to rise to go search for him. She was stopped, however, by someone weakly grabbing her wrist. She looked back to find C.C.'s hand grasping her own.

"Please stay." C.C. begged. She really didn't want to be alone as miserable as she felt at that moment.

Fran looked down at her sympathetically. She nodded her consent, and sat back down on the couch. In one hand she held a hand of C.C.'s, the other was placed on her forehead trying to bring the woman some relief from her raging fever.

…**... **

Niles was running about trying to gather the materials Fran had requested when Mr. Sheffield called him into his office.

"Look here Niles, I know you and C.C. love to spite each other, but locking her outside was going too far. This has got to stop, understand? Now, you were only let off the hook this time because C.C. personally requested it. Another trick like that and you'll be on the corner before you can say 'Yes Sir'. Got it?"

Niles nodded his head.

"There, now that that's settled, why don't you deliver those things to Miss Fine?"

Again Niles nodded and quickly scurried away. Then he remembered that he had to tell Mr. Sheffield that C.C. would be staying with them. He hesitantly poked his head around the door to the office.

"Sir?"

"What?"

"I've been told to inform you that Ms. Babcock will be staying the night."

"Fine."

With that, Niles hurried to give the requested items to Fran. He tried not to be surprised when he saw Fran comforting C.C. like they were old friends. He silently handed the blankets to Fran and went to wet the cloth. After he had gone, Fran spread the extra blankets over C.C., hoping to stop the chills that had suddenly appeared. C.C. attempted to thank Fran for being so nice to her but quickly realized her sore throat wouldn't allow anymore talking. She instead opted to tug on Fran's sleeve and point to her throat. Fran, thank goodness, realized what she meant, and promptly yelled to Niles to bring some medicine for C.C.'s sore throat. When Niles returned, Fran placed the damp cloth on C.C.'s forehead and C.C. sighed in relief. Fran then poured her a dose of medicine, which she begrudgingly drank, and then Fran patted her hand and told her that she would check on her later. Fran then stood up and walked out of the room with Niles, turning the lights off as she went so that C.C. could sleep in peace.


	3. Finally Friends

Chapter 3: Finally Friends

"Fran! We're home!"

"Niles! Where's our snack?"

"Fran! I need you to sign something!"

These were the shouts that urged C.C. back into the world of the living. She had in fact been having a quite nice dream about her and Maxwell getting married. She just begun to dream of the honeymoon when the children's voices penetrated her feverish haze. C.C. blinked and attempted to sit up, only to be seized by a wave of nausea and dizziness. She quickly lowered her body back onto the couch before she could be sick and wrapped the blankets tighter around her body.

"Shhhhhhhhhhh! Miss Babcock's not feelin' too good! So I expect ya's to go upstairs and be quiet today!" Fran whispered furiously.

"Since when do we have to be nice to Ms. Babcock?" asked Brighton, promoting a groan from C.C. Fran glanced over quickly.

"Since she's sick as a dawg. Get! Go on! I'll be there in a minute!" Fran said in her normal voice.

Sharing disbelieving looks, the children scurried off to the kitchen to get their normal after school snack.

"Do you think Fran's loosing it?" asked Maggie quietly as they left.

"She's just being nice." replied Grace.

Fran watched the kids, making sure that they left, before she crossed the room and sat on the couch beside C.C. Fran put her hand on C.C.'s forehead and frowned. Mustering every ounce of 'happy' she could find, she patted C.C.'s hand and asked "Feelin' any bettah?"

"Not really."

"What's the mattah?" asked a concerned Fran.

"I'm just so cold! My head hurts and I feel nauseous."

Fran thought for a moment before she replied "That doesn't sound like a cold tah me. Maybe we should call the doctah."

At Fran's suggestion, C.C. turned paler than she already was and replied quickly "NO! No doctors! I'm sure it's just a cold and I'll be fine tomorrow!"

Fran frowned and pulled the blankets tighter around C.C. as she started to shiver.

"No Miss Babcock, I'm gonna hafta call the doctah."

Fran got up and went to get the phone. C.C. panicked and sat up.

"NO! Nanny Fine! Fran..."

Upon hearing C.C. use her actual name, Fran turned and looked at the sick socialite on the couch. Seeing that she had Fran's attention, C.C. went on.

"Fran. Please. Don't call the doctor." C.C. whispered.

Suddenly, C.C. felt like a very small child. Fran thought the same, and walked over and resumed sitting beside her. C.C. whimpered and buried her face into Fran's chest, surprising them both. _Did I just bury my head into Fran's chest?_ C.C. thought. Fran thought, _Did Miss Babcock just cuddle up tah me? She must really be sick. Now I really hafta call the doctah. _C.C. quickly drew back from Fran and half stuttered, half mumbled an apology.

"Uh, Miss Babcock, why don't ya like doctahs?" asked Fran who was trying to recover from the sudden shock of having C.C.'s head in her chest. C.C. tried to sigh, but ended up coughing instead.

"Fran, when I was little, I got bronchitis really bad. When my mother _finally _took me to the doctor, they poked, prodded, and stuck me with so many needles that I felt like a pin cushion." she said when she caught her breath. "Ever since then, I've been afraid of doctors. And call me C.C." she added.

"I'm really sorry Miss...C.C. Ya do know that all doctahs aren't that bad don' cha?"

As she said this, Fran got up and inched toward the phone. Before C.C. could respond, or realize what was going on, Fran had dialed the phone and was speaking with a doctor.

"Yeah, cold chills, coughin', sneezin', fevah, pale, nauseous, uh huh, uh huh, well thanks a lot doc."

"What did you just do?"

"I called the doctah. He thinks ya got the flu, but he's not sure. He's comin' over tah take a look at cha. He'll be here in an hour."

"FRAN! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT! I JUST TOLD YOU HOW SCARED I AM OF DOCTORS!" C.C. yelled.

"Calm down C.C. I called because you're scarin' me. Human contact? That ain't like ya at all."

"Still, doctors scare me. I'm telling you, it's just a cold. I'll be fine tomorrow."

"Do ya want me tah stay with ya when he comes?" asked Fran knowingly.

"YES!" C.C. answered without thinking.

Fran smiled. C.C. blushed. Suddenly, Fran heard a crash followed by loud whispers.

"All right Niyules, kids, come on out from where evah you're hidin'."

"Aw man! She caught us!" exclaimed Brighton coming out from the hall, followed by Maggie, Grace, and Niles.

"Gee, I wonder why, Mister I'll-just-lean-on-this-vase-and hope-it won't break." said Maggie.

"Well, it was a big vase." said Brighton sheepishly.

"Yes, thank you so much for a new mess to clean up, Master Brighton. I really was bored with nothing to do." said Niles.

Fran laughed at their bickering. She loved them when they were being cute. From the couch, C.C. groaned. Her head hurt and it was getting worse every minute. She just decided to lay back and close her eyes. With any luck, she would fall asleep, or Fran would handle this quickly and come help her get warm.

Alright, what were ya spyin' on us for?" asked Fran.

Grace nudged Brighton, who nudged Maggie, who nudged Niles. He sighed. Even though it was his idea, he really didn't want to be the one to explain it.

"Well Miss Fine, the children were worried you were, what was it? Loosing it? Anyway, we decided to come see what was going on."

"Niyules, I am NOT goin' nuts! And kids, I thought I told ya I'd be there in a minute. All ya had tah do was ask me what was goin' on. Go on upstairs. And Niyules, you better clean up that vase. I'll talk tah _you_ latah." said Fran with a glare.

Everyone hurried to do as Fran said. It wasn't often that they were afraid of her. But when they were, it was for a reason. Fran rubbed her temples as she walked back to C.C. She sat beside her and immediately noticed that she had fallen asleep. She thought about earlier that day, after she and Max had gotten back from the theatre.

…**...**

"Why are you being so nice to her?" Niles asked.

"Because, I wanna be friends with her. And nobody deserves to be that sick." Fran said, sighing and shaking her head. "And anyway Niyules, why did ya leave her outside? And why so long?"

Now it was Niles' turn to sigh. He had already asked himself those same questions and found no answer other than 'having fun'.

"I already told you Fran. I left her outside to mess with her head. As for the time, I was busy running this house. You know, cooking, cleaning? I guess I forgot I had left her out there." _There. That sounds better than the truth. _He thought to himself after he finished speaking.

"Well, I guess I can understand ya Niyules. I know ya would nevah miss an opportunity tah mess with her."

"Thank you Fran. That means a lot. And thank you for helping me keep my job."

"Ah come on Niyules. Ya know he could nevah last a day without ya. He would've been begging ya to come back in an hour." said Fran as she began to laugh.

"I suppose you're right." said Niles before he joined in laughing with Fran.

Just as they caught their breath, they heard the front door slam.

"That's the kids. I bettah get to 'em before they start..."

"FRAN! WE'RE HOME! NILES! WHERE'S OUR SNACK? FRAN! I NEED YOU TO SIGN SOMETHING!"

"...yelling." Fran finished. "I bettah get out there."

…**...**

She sighed and absent-mindedly tucked the blankets back around C.C., who had thrown them off and was now shivering violently. Later on she would have to talk to Niles about trusting her. The doorbell rang. Right now, the doctor was here. And he was early.

"I'll get it!" Fran yelled as she headed for the door.


	4. The Doctor is Here

Chapter 4: The Doctor is Here

Fran ran to the door and opened it. Standing in front of her was a short, fat, bald man, with thick glasses that made his eyes appear huge. He carried the traditional black medical bag, and wore the traditional white coat.

"Come on in doctah." said Fran.

"Well where is she? Where's the patient?" he demanded as he swept past Fran.

"She's ovah here Doctah...uh, what did you say ya name was?"

"Doctor Marks. And I don't have much time, so let's get to it."

"Of course Doctah Marks, just let me wake her up. Come on C.C., wake up. Wake up, the doctah's here. That's a good girl." Fran said as C.C.'s eyes flew open.

"Now then, what is the matter with you?" asked Doctor Marks.

"I have a cold. That's _**ALL**_." C.C. said firmly.

"Now, now, be honest. Your friend," he nodded to Fran who was sitting beside C.C., "told me your were having chills, shivering, had a fever, were coughing and sneezing, had a headache, and was nauseous."

"That's about it." C.C. said.

"Well, open your mouth. Uh huh. Throat red. Open again please." said Doctor Marks as he placed a thermometer in C.C.'s mouth. "One hundred and three point seven. Interesting. Let me listen to your breathing. Mmmmm. _Very _interesting. Heart sounds normal. Alright, let me look into your eyes. Eyes glassy. Alright, I believe I know what's wrong."

"Well, what is it?" demanded Fran, who was trying to soothe C.C. after she had burst into a coughing fit.

"I believe she has a severe case of influenza accompanied by a small cold. She should stay in bed for at least a week and should be closely monitored, otherwise she risks the influenza turning into pneumonia or bronchitis. Good day." said Doctor Marks as he briskly swept out the door.

Fran and C.C.'s mouths were left hanging open until Niles walked in.

"Well, what did the doctor say?"

"Oh, umm..." said Fran as she tried to regain her composure, "he said C.C. has a severe case of the flu and a small cold. She has tah stay in bed for at least a week and we gotta watch her real close or she could get bronchitis or...what was it?" asked Fran, turning to C.C.

"Pneumonia." she replied miserably.

For a moment, Niles was stunned. He had done this to her. Him. And to think it could all have been avoided if he would have let her in like Mr. Sheffield said.

"I...I'm sorry. Really... Did you just call her C.C.?" Niles asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. I did. Niyules, is the guest room ready?"

Niles numbly shook his head.

"Good. Come on C.C. No, drop the blankets, you'll get some more once we get ya tah bed." said Fran as she coaxed the woman off the couch and into the guest room. Once Fran had gotten C.C. onto the bed, she called for Niles.

"Niyules, please go tah my room and bring down my flannel pajamas. The ones I got that are too big. No offense C.C. We gotta get her outta my robe and into some clothes."

Niles trudged upstairs to get Fran's way-too-big pajamas. Thanks to "polishing" the key holes, he knew Fran only used those particular pajamas when she was sick. He walked over to Fran's dresser and opened the top drawer. He pulled out the pajamas and went towards the stairs, only to be stopped by Grace.

"Where's Fran?" she asked.

"Tending to Miss Babcock. She's very ill and none of you are to go near her or disturb her. Do you understand?"

"Yes Niles."

"Good. Make sure to tell your brother and sister."

With that, Grace skipped off down the hall towards her room. Niles sighed and went to descend the staircase when he heard Max calling him.

"NILES! I NEED YOUR HELP!"

"Coming Sir." said Niles as he turned and walked in the opposite direction.

_Meanwhile..._

"Where's Niyules with the pajamas?" Fran wondered aloud.

"Fran, I'm _so cold._" C.C. complained while shivering.

Fran grabbed the thermometer.

"Alright, I gotta take your temperature. Open up."

Fran stuck the thermometer in C.C.'s mouth and waited for it to beep. She was really concerned about C.C. She was shivering badly and couldn't seem to get warm. Fran wondered if her fever had gone up. The thermometer beeped and she pulled it out of C.C.'s mouth and gasped. C.C.'s fever had definitely gone up. Actually, it was more like it had gone through the roof. The thermometer reading was one hundred and four point two! Fran knew she had to get the fever down or it would kill C.C.

"Come on C.C., we need tah get your fevah down."

"What is it?"

"One hundred and four point two."

Fran startled C.C. so much to hyperventilate, which was quite a task, considering she was so congested .

"Breathe C.C., BREATHE!" Fran instructed.

As soon as C.C.'s breathing was normal, Fran went and turned on the water, filling up the tub with cold water. She then rushed to the kitchen to get the ice tray, which she dumped into the water when she came back. C.C. watched and whimpered, backing across the bed. She was already cold! She didn't want to be colder!

"C.C. I know you're cold. I know ya don't wanna get in the watah. But ya gotta! It'll bring your fevah down and you'll feel bettah! Trust me!" Fran begged.

Against C.C.'s better judgment, she crawled off the bed and went into the bathroom. Fran followed and put her hand over her eyes as C.C. dropped the robe and got into the water. Fran soon removed her hand from her eyes to plug her ears as C.C.'s screams met her eardrums. _Maybe I got it a little too cold. _Thought Fran as she wrestled C.C. back into the water. C.C. eventually gave in and sat there, panting at the temperature of the water. Fran sat on the floor beside the tub holding her hand and crying, apologizing and promising her it would be over soon.

"I promise C.C., it'll be ovah soon. Then I'll help you inta some pajamas, and cover ya with as many blankets as I can find." Fran said through her tears.

…**...**

"Ah, there you are Old Man." said Max as Niles walked into his room. "I need you to tell me, how do you fold clothes? I've just been called out of town on urgent business and I need to pack immediately."

"Oh, give me that!" Niles said impatiently.

"Thanks, Old Man. I knew I could count on you." Max returned with a smile.

"Of course, Sir." Niles grumbled.

When Maxwell's suitcase had finally been packed, and he had been informed of C.C.' condition, he left with a bunch of hurried good-byes and a wish for C.C. to recover quickly. Niles finally headed down to the guest room, only to hear crying and the chattering of teeth. Wondering what could possibly be going on, he entered the bathroom and saw Fran beside the tub crying and C.C. in the tub soaking in what appeared to be ice water. Fran turned and saw him, uttering a relieved cry of "NIYULES!"

…**...**

"It's okay Fran, I know you're only trying to help me." C.C. said through chattering teeth. "Please stop crying."

"I...I know. It's just upsettin' that I have tah be the one tah do it!"

They heard footsteps approaching and turned towards the door. To their great relief, it was Niles.

"NIYULES!" Fran cried. "OH THANK GOODNESS! C.C.'S FEVAH GOT REAL BAD AND I HAD TAH PUT HER IN THE ICE WATAH TO GET IT DOWN!" Fran yelled, successfully making both Niles and C.C. wince and cover their ears.

"Oops. Sorry."

"Well, did it work?" asked Niles.

"Did what work?"

"THE ICE BATH!"shouted Niles as he lost the last of his patience.

"I was just about tah check. Hand me the thamometah."

Fran eventually managed to get it positioned in C.C.'s mouth through her chattering teeth. When it beeped, Fran sighed in relief.

"One hundred and two point seven." she read out.

"Thank God." said Niles.

He handed Fran the pajamas and left. Fran helped C.C. out of the bath tub and handed her a towel. While C.C. was drying off, she went and found some more blankets for C.C.'s bed. She placed them on the bed and turned it back. C.C. was waiting for her, fully dressed, and Fran helped her to bed. Despite the warm pajamas, C.C. felt like an ice cube. She shivered the whole way to the bed, and had to lean heavily on Fran when she erupted into a sneezing fit. Fran tucked her in and handed her a tissue as she pulled a chair up to the bed.

"Shhh. Sleep now C.C. I'll stay with ya, I promise."

"Fran..."

"Hmmm?"

"My throat hurts."

So Fran, as tired as she was, went and got C.C. some medicine before collapsing into the chair beside C.C.'s bed. She watched C.C. take the medicine and hummed a lullaby to make C.C. sleep. Just after C.C. fell asleep, so did Fran. Soon after, Niles peeked in to check on them and saw them both asleep. He covered Fran with a light blanket he found in the closet and went to prepare dinner. _I'm glad Fran's here, _he thought to himself, smiling, _otherwise__** I**__ would have to care for Miss Babcock and the children. Fran really is wonderful._


	5. Forgiveness is Hard to Earn

Chapter 5: Forgiveness is Hard to Earn

C.C. jerked awake. She hated that dream. It was the one where she was running and suddenly fell off a cliff. Then she would fall until she almost hit the ground. Then she would jerk awake. She was covered in sweat and was fairly sure it wasn't from her fever breaking. She still felt like a walking popsicle. C.C. rolled over and snuggled deeper into her nest of blankets.

It was then that she noticed Fran asleep in a chair beside her. She smiled to herself. _I really have to thank her when she wakes up. And I have to be nicer to her from now on. _She thought to herself as she watched Fran sleep. Suddenly, she heard the door creak open. C.C. quickly pretended to be asleep. Two sets of heavy footsteps approached the bed. Even before one of them spoke she knew who they were.

"I told you, Sir. Miss Fine tended to Miss Babcock and then fell asleep in the chair. She didn't want to leave her by herself." Niles said quietly.

"She really is something, isn't she Niles?" Max said as he referred to Fran. "Even though C.C. was extremely cruel to her, she insists upon taking care of her. I don't what I would do without her."

"Do you think we should wake her Sir?"

"No. Let her sleep. I know she must be exhausted. I would be too if I had to pretend to be someone I wasn't as well as care for a sick person and three children."

"Who shall watch the children Sir?"

"I should hope you would in light of the situation, Old Man."

"Of course Sir. I will inform them at once."

With that they turned and left the room quietly, closing the door behind them. C.C. yawned. She hated being sick, but maybe it wasn't so bad if she had someone to care for her. It had been a long time since someone had sincerely cared about her at all, much less when she was sick, and she was going to enjoy it. Suppressing a shiver, C.C. climbed out of bed and went to stand beside Fran's chair. She leaned over and whispered "Thank you for caring Fran. It means a lot. At the sound of C.C.'s voice, Fran shifted in the chair and the blanket slid from her lap. C.C. bent over and picked it up, tucking it carefully back around her friend, and went back to bed herself.

…**... **

"Does this mean we're not gonna see Fran anymore?" asked Grace after Niles had told them he would be looking after them until further notice.

"Of course not Miss Grace. Miss Babcock just needs some extra TLC right now and Miss Fine's the right person to give it to her."

"But I need Fran to come to a meeting with my teacher on Friday!" whined Brighton.

"It's only Tuesday Master Brighton, I'm sure that by Friday Miss Fine will be able to leave Miss Babcock alone for a few hours." proclaimed Niles.

"If she doesn't get sick too." grumbled Brighton.

"We'll just have to wait and see. Now then, why don't we watch a movie?"

The Sheffield children eagerly raced into the den to pick one out, leaving Niles to prepare the snacks. He looked up at the ceiling as he begged "Please get better soon Miss Babcock. I can't handle this much longer."

…**...**

Fran slowly woke up. _Oy, what hit me? _she wondered as she stretched her sore muscles after sleeping in the chair. She glanced at the clock by C.C.'s bed and gasped. _Two o'clock?! Why __didn't anyone wake me up? The kids! I have to go check on them!_ Fran thought as she scrambled out of the chair. Unfortunately, she neglected to remove the blanket and ended up sprawled on the floor in front of the chair. "Ommmph!" she said as she hit the floor. Fran quickly slapped a hand over her mouth as C.C. stirred. Thankfully, she didn't wake up. Fran sighed in relief as she climbed up from the floor and slowly and carefully made her way out of the bedroom and upstairs.

She was about halfway up the staircase when she heard a strange sound. She turned around and saw the kids and Niles asleep and draped across all the furniture in the room. Laughing to herself, she made her way down the stairs and over to the light switch, which she flipped on, successfully startling everyone at least partly awake.

"Uggghhhhh!" came the collective groan.

Fran went over to the couch and shook Brighton and Maggie the rest of the way awake. They stared up at her groggily.

"Go on tah bed now. Ya got school tamarra." Fran told them gently as she made her way over to Niles to shake him awake.

"Mmmmm...Fran?"

"Yeah, it's me. Can ya please clean up this mess? It looks like a herd ah elephants ran through here."

Fran then made her way to Grace.

"Gracie? Come on, honey, ya gotta go tah bed." she told her gently as she shook her shoulder.

"Fran? I don't feel good." Grace told her in a tiny voice as she coughed.

"Ya were fine earlier. What's the mattah?" Fran asked as she smoothed the hair off Grace's face.

"I'm just cold. And I cant quit coughing."

As if to prove her point, she burst out coughing as soon as the sentence was completed. Fran put her hand on Grace's forehead.

"You're a little warm, but not bad. Come on, I'll take ya tah bed and tuck ya in. It's probably just a cold."

_Please God let it be a cold._ Fran thought as she managed to get Grace to sit up.

"Fran? Will you carry me?" Grace asked quietly.

"Of course baby." Fran said as she gently scooped the girl into her arms.

Fran carried Grace upstairs and helped her get ready for bed. As she tucked her in, Grace asked if Fran could stay with her. Fran bit her lip.

"I'll stay till ya go tah sleep, how bout that?"

Grace shook her head. Fran sighed and knew she was gonna give in.

"Alright I'll stay. But don't get upset if you wake up and I'm not here. I'll just be checking on Miss Babcock. Let me check on her now and I'll be back in a second, 'kay?"

Grace sleepily nodded. Fran pulled the covers up to Grace's neck and headed downstairs to check on C.C. Seeing she was still sleeping peacefully, she went in search of Niles.

"Can ya please stay with C.C. tanight Niyules? Gracie's beggin me tah stay with her and I said I would." said Fran when she found him.

"Alright, I'll babysit her." Niles agreed.

"If anything goes wrong, come and get me." said Fran as she turned to leave. "Oh, and Niyules, I trust ya tah watch her. If nothin' happens, maybe I'll forgive yah for spyin' on me."

With that, Fran headed back upstairs. She didn't notice the way Niles' shoulders slumped as she walked out of the kitchen. Once she was back in Grace's room, She took off her heels and climbed in beside her. Seeking warmth, and noticing Fran's presence, Grace snuggled closer to Fran and cuddled up against her. Fran kissed her forehead, noticing it was slightly cooler.

"Goodnight Gracie." Fran whispered.

"Night Fran." Grace mumbled, trying to snuggle closer to her.

…**...**

Upon entering C.C.'s room, Niles seated himself in the chair that Fran had occupied earlier. As he watched her sleep, he sighed. He was so ashamed of what he had done. Here she was, as sick as...well a dog as Fran put it, and it was his fault. C.C. started to cough in her sleep. Niles immediately got up and went over and sat her up so she could breathe properly.

"What are you doing in here, Rochester? Where's Fran?" wheezed C.C.

"Miss Grace has become ill and Fran is with her until morning. So you're stuck with me until then. Unless you want me to leave?" he teased, slightly enjoying the look of pure terror that briefly passed over her face at the thought of being alone.

"NO! I mean, I guess you'll do for what?" C.C. said glancing at her clock, "Five and a half, six hours max?"

"Something like that." Niles said as he settled her back into a horizontal position.

"Whatever. Just leave me alone." C.C. said as she rolled over and tried to get comfortable.

"Oh, I could never dream of touching you Babs, just like any other man." Niles said as he resumed sitting in the chair. C.C. just growled in response. _This is gonna be a long week._ Niles thought as he got comfortable.


	6. Why Me?

Chapter Six: Why Me?

"FRAAAAAAAAAANNN! FRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNN!" C.C. screamed in her sleep. She was having a horrible nightmare, brought on by her fever which had gone sky-high again. Fran jerked awake when she heard C.C.'s distressed cries. She eased out from under Grace's arms and flew downstairs. Niles, who had been woken up by the yells as well, was waiting outside the bedroom door for Fran. She shoved him aside and whisked into the room.

"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, C.C., I'm here. You're all right. You're okay." Fran said as she sat in the bed and hugged C.C. to her, rocking back and forth as she did so.

"I...I...I don't know what's wrong. We were asleep and then she started yelling! I don't know what to do." Niles panicked.

"Get out." Fran's voice, icy calm.

"Wh...What?" Niles asked in disbelief.

"Get out. Go and get some ice tah put in the tub. We gotta cool her down. Her fevah's back and it's higha than before."

"How do you know?"

Fran held up the thermometer. She had put it in C.C.'s mouth and Niles was so worried he hadn't noticed.

"One hundred and five point four. HURRY UP NIYULES!" Fran screamed when she noticed he was still standing there.

Niles ran out so fast he ended up falling on his face. He scrambled up quickly, however, in search of ice. Fran threw back the blankets and stripped off C.C.'s pajamas. She picked C.C. up and carried her to the bathroom. She sat her in the bath tub and turned on the cold water, making sure to dunk C.C.'s head under it. The tub was already filled when Niles dumped the ice into it. Fran grabbed a piece and put it directly on C.C.'s burning forehead. The ice melted immediately.

"Get more ice Niyules!" Fran yelled. She was beginning to panic.

"We don't have anymore!"

"Then make some more!" said Fran as she began to cry.

…**...**

_ There was brimstone and fire everywhere. C.C. knew she was in hell just by looking around. "Ah, our newest arrival." said the devil. C.C. tried to back up in fear, but was bound in chains so that she fell forward. "Now, now, what's the hurry." the devil said lazily. "I was just going to show you some... movies." Suddenly C.C. found herself surrounded by darkness. She was then transported into what appeared to be a hospital. She saw herself, old and withered with age, and alone. _

_ There were no visitors, no nurses, no nothing. As she watched, the heart monitor suddenly flat-lined and C.C. cringed. Doctors poured in and tried to help, but they were too late. "Thank God she finally died." said one. "Yeah, she was a pain." said another. And the image faded. C.C. felt a tear slip down her cheek, even though she knew it wasn't real._

_ Another image appeared. This one showed Fran walking in Downtown Manhattan at night. It appeared to be late, and Fran looked scared. 'What the heck is she doing walking around in Manhattan at night? That's just stupid.' C.C. thought. "I knew I shoulda let Niyules drive me tah the theatah. Now I'm lost." Fran said to herself. Suddenly, a man jumped out of a nearby alley and grabbed her. "Come on baby, I'm not gonna hurt ya." he said. C.C. stepped forward to try to help and found she was rooted to the spot. _

_ He jerked her back into the alley with him. C.C. cringed, knowing what would surely come next. She heard Fran scream in pain and terror. And then she heard a sharp smack, then silence. "FRAAAAAAAAAANNN! FRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNN!" C.C. screamed as she fought against the invisible force that was holding her back. She had to help Fran, she had to! As she struggled, C.C. began to cry. Just before she passed out, she heard cruel laughter. Cold, cruel laughter._

…_**...**_

"Look, Niyules, she's wakin' up!" squealed a deliriously happy Fran.

C.C. woke up with a start as she felt the icy water cascading over her body. She looked up at Fran who had her face buried in her hands as she sobbed. For a brief second, C.C. thought her dream had come true. Then she realized she was shaking and cold in one of the bathrooms in Maxwell's mansion . She looked over and found Niles, who also had tears in his eyes.

"What happened?" she rasped.

She noticed her throat still hurt badly and was dry.

"We almost lost you Babs." Niles whispered quietly. "You're fever was dangerously high. Another few minutes and it would have killed you. You're lucky you called for Fran when you did, otherwise..." Niles took a deep breath to steady his nerves. "Otherwise you'd be dead. Fran saved your life by cooling you down with another ice bath."

C.C. looked over at Fran, who had just managed to pull herself together. She reached out her hand, and Fran rushed over and grabbed it. C.C. looked at her. Fran's face was red and blotchy, and she had tear tracks down her cheeks. Whatever makeup she had left on was running down her face, and her eyes glistened with un-shed tears. This was the woman C.C. owed her life to. She swiftly pulled Fran into a hug.

"Th...Thank you so much. I owe you everything." said C.C. shakily.

Fran was soaked with water, but she didn't care. She reached out a shaky hand and placed it on C.C.'s forehead. The skin was extremely cooler to touch, Fran noticed immediately.

"Thank God." she breathed before she started sobbing again.

This time C.C. held Fran and whispered calming words into her ear until she stopped crying. C.C. then got out of the tub and dried off and put her pajamas back on. Niles helped her back into bed and had to fight with Fran over who was going to stay with C.C.

"Miss Grace needs you Fran."

"C.C. needs me more."

"I'm staying."

"NO, I AM!" Fran shouted at the top of her lungs.

"What's wrong with the little one?" C.C. asked.

"Miss Grace caught a cold and requested that Fran stay with her tonight." Niles explained.

C.C. knew that the little one needed Fran more than she did, but her recent brush with death, not to mention her nightmare, left her afraid. She took a deep breath and said something very selfish.

"I want Fran to stay with me."

Fran stuck her tongue out at Niles in triumph before settling down in the chair with a yawn. Niles sighed and looked at the ceiling. "Why me?" he whispered. He did not want to be the one to tell Grace why she didn't wake up with Fran beside her.

"Niyules can you go check on Gracie for me?" Fran asked sleepily.

"Niles, wait. I have a better idea. Bring the air mattress in here and then bring the little one in here. That way, Fran can stay with her and me at the same time." C.C. said.

Niles looked at her incredulously. Then he looked at Fran to see what she would say.

"I think it's a good idea Niyules. That way, I can look after Gracie and C.C. without havin tah run up and down the stairs." Fran mumbled, already half asleep.

As Niles inflated the mattress under C.C.'s somewhat dazed but still watchful eye, he again thought _Why me? _And again when he awakened Grace and carried her downstairs he thought _Why me?_ As he settled Grace onto the mattress and pulled the blankets over her, he said "Miss Fine, Miss Grace is here."

With a yawn, Fran got up and slid in next to Grace on the mattress. Grace wrapped her arms around Fran and snuggled her head into Fran's chest. Fran kissed the top of her head and snuggled down to go back to sleep. C.C. smiled as she watched these events unfold. Niles quietly slipped out of the room, suddenly uncomfortable. C.C. rolled over and tried to go to sleep only to hear a soft "Thank you, Miss Babcock." C.C. smiled as she drifted off to sleep.


	7. Favorite

Chapter 7: Favorite

Grace woke up hearing a strange noise. It sounded like sniffling, almost as if someone were crying. She looked over at Fran, only to find her sleeping peacefully. She then looked up at the bed where C.C. lay on her side. Grace looked closer and noticed that her breathing was irregular. Deciding that the noises must be coming from her, she got up and slipped over to the bed.

"Miss Babcock, what's the matter?" Grace asked softly.

No answer.

"Miss Babcock, why are you crying? Do you need me to get Fran?" Grace ventured again.

"N...n...no. Y...you don't have t...to wake her up." C.C. said while gasping for breath between sobs.

Grace walked a little closer to C.C. and noticed her back was facing her. She reached out a tentative hand and started to rub her back, making small circles slowly. She could feel the heat coming off C.C. through her shirt. Frightened though she was, she kept rubbing her back. She was starting feel C.C. relax slowly against her hand. After a few minutes of back rubbing, C.C.'s sniffles had subsided and she had relaxed completely. Grace, thinking C.C. had fallen back asleep, started to tip toe back to the mattress.

"It was a nightmare." came a shaky whisper.

Grace stopped and turned to look at C.C. once more.

"What?" she asked.

"The reason I was crying, it was a nightmare."

"Oh. Do you...want to tell me about it?" Grace asked carefully.

"No. No, it was too terrible."

"Well, are you okay now?" asked Grace (who hoped that C.C. would say yes).

As mean and vicious as C.C. could be, Grace didn't like seeing her sad.

"Not really." C.C. answered honestly, surprising them both.

Grace didn't really know what to do. In all her seven years, she had never seen C.C. express any emotion other than anger, much less be honest about it. She bit her lip and finally decided what she should do. She carefully made her way around to the other side of the bed, and climbed onto it. She inched toward C.C. slowly. C.C. didn't seem to notice and was too busy trying to burrow further into the blankets to care. Once she was at C.C.'s side, she crawled under the covers slowly and carefully, so as not to frighten the woman beside her. Once the covers were replaced, Grace got as close to C.C. as she dared and wrapped her arms around the trembling woman.

"You'll be okay, Miss Babcock. This won't last forever, I promise."

Grace then snuggled closer to the woman dubbed the Ice Queen, who she once believed untouchable and incapable of feelings. She placed her head in the crook of C.C.'s neck and, with a yawn, fell soundly asleep. C.C., however, remained awake, dumbfounded.

…**...**

_ I wonder how such a little girl is capable of giving me the comfort I need and wanted. _C.C. mused. _After all, I've never shown her a bit of kindness. Could it be that she actually likes me? _With these thoughts and others keeping her awake, C.C. concentrated on what brought Grace to her aid in the first place. She remembered having a nightmare that caused her to wake up crying. She shuddered at the thought of the nightmare. Then the girl had been there at her side, or back rather, asking her what was wrong and then if Fran needed to get involved. No matter how much C.C. wanted to, she knew she couldn't involve Fran. She needed her rest and shouldn't be bothered.

Then Grace had started to rub her back in attempt to calm her down. It had worked, and C.C. discovered she rather liked it. To top it off, the little angel had been willing to listen to her talk about her dream. As if that wasn't enough, she then crawled onto the bed and under the covers with her to make sure that she would be alright. And now, there she was, snuggled up close and hugging her. C.C. couldn't fathom why she had done it and frankly, she didn't care. She realized that with Grace's extra body heat she was beginning to feel a little warmer.

C.C. felt the girl stir in her sleep and then heard a whimper. _Of course she's having a nightmare, _C.C. thought, _I was telling her I had one and she must have been thinking about how bad it must have been to make me cry, thus creating one of her own. Yes, that must be it._ C.C. hugged the girl closer in attempt to calm her. C.C. suddenly felt little nails digging into her back. She winced. Almost as suddenly, the grip loosened and the child sighed in what C.C. assumed was either relief or contentment. Still hugging Grace close, C.C. fell asleep thinking about how she was going to spoil the little wonder beside her when she got better.

…**...**

Early morning sunlight streamed in through the slightly ajar curtains in C.C.'s room, waking Fran up. She stretched and then instantly became aware that there was no child beside her. She was beginning to panic when she noticed the extra lump on the bed. Curious, she got up to investigate. Sure enough, there was Grace, curled up against C.C. with her their arms around each other. _Well this is a Kodak moment._ Fran thought. She stood at the foot of the bed watching the pair for a few minutes until Grace began to stir. Grace blinked sleepily a few times and then her eyes locked onto Fran and she smiled.

She then eased out of C.C.'s embrace and crawled down to Fran. Fran noticed that C.C. soon became restless when she noticed Grace had moved. Fran found it amusing as she watched C.C.'s contented smile turn into a frown as she patted the bed beside her in search of Grace. Fran knew she was waking up when the soft, slow pats turned into quick, hard ones. C.C. finally blinked awake and looked around frantically before noticing Grace and Fran at the end of the bed. A look similar to relief passed over her face before turning annoyed at the giggles that Grace and Fran were now emitting.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"You! Ya should have seen yourself searchin' for Gracie! It was too funny!" exclaimed Fran between giggles.

C.C. pouted a little until the two had caught their breath. Fran put her hand on Grace's forehead and deemed her well enough to go to school.

"Aw Fran, do I have to?" whined Grace.

"Yeah ya do. Ya don't have fever anymore. So even though you're still coughin' ya gotta go tah school."

With a few grumbles on Grace's part and a few unheard pleas from C.C., Grace was dressed and ready for school. Fran saw her off, took a shower, changed clothes, and was back by C.C.'s side within an hour.

"So why was Gracie cuddled up tah ya this mornin'?" asked Fran.

" 'Cuz I had a bad dream." C.C. mumbled.

"Ya coulda woke me up."

"Well I was crying and Grace heard me and asked if I was okay and rubbed my back and the next thing I knew she was hugging me." C.C. blurted out in a rush.

"Aw, how sweet. I take it she's ya new faverit?"

"Yeah! I...I mean yes. When she hugged me, I was really cold and her extra warmth helped me sleep."

Fran just smiled. She knew C.C. wasn't heartless, despite what everyone else said.

"Come on C.C. I gotta take yah temperature."

In a few minutes the thermometer had beeped and gave a reading of...

"One hundred and two!" exclaimed a happy Fran.

"What's so great about a hundred and two?" asked C.C. before sneezing.

"Nothin'. It's just a lot lower than last night."

There was a knock on the door and Niles and Max entered.

"Well, how are we feeling today C.C.?" Maxwell asked in an upbeat tone.

C.C. smiled weakly.

"A little better, but still horrible."

"Well that's to be expected of a woman over 75." Niles said.

"Oh, do shut up Niles." replied Max.

C.C. tried to growl, but ended up coughing instead. After a brief visit, and Niles bringing Fran and C.C. breakfast, they left. The rest of the day was uneventful. Fran slept when C.C. slept and they talked in between, or Fran gave her medicine and took her temperature. When Grace got home, she went into C.C.'s room and stayed until it was time for bed.

"Goodnight Miss Babcock." Grace said.

"Goodnight Gracie." C.C. said.

After Grace left, Fran helped C.C. get ready for bed.

"She's so cute Fran."

"Gracie? Yeah she is."

"Goodnight Fran."

"Goodnight C.C. Sleep well, and ya can wake me up if ya need me, okay?"

" 'Kay. Night."

"Night.


End file.
